My morning bluuuuu

Little jaded round the edges this morning – up a bit late – alarm clock batteries failed after firing off the alarm at least once as I remember turning it off (for snooze) maybe twice, but then nothing until drifting on headlines thinking it’s the summary before thought for a day (before farming today) & I’ve plenty of ti… “And with the time at five past six here’s Rob McKelway” … OK – definitely awake & moving (I’m late). Naturally Esme was awake (she’s not properly adjusted to GMT) & chatty, “You going for your shower daddy?” “‘Course I am” mumbled & off I pop.

Quick, quick & back up to take Esme downstairs & disturb Louise awake as she need to get a shower next. It’s not fair as she normally gets a little more snoozing & a cup of tea waiting in the bathroom, but I’ve normally had some time to have breakfast already & have a cup of tea prepared.

Esme wants me to do that & that when we got downstairs & have to say that I need to get my breakfast & I’m a bit busy, so she does the curling up on the floor thing & I ignore her & pour cereal, wash out the teapot & keep going. I get the playdoh & ‘tools’ off the hook for her; hand them over, but she’s not interested in taking them to the table herself. She craves an audience, but satisfies herself being my audience for a bit. Tea brewing & cereal going doused with milk I head to the front room stage (table) for her so she can ‘bake’ & I can eat. Rice Crispies taste better than playdoh.

Tea, drinks for work prepared, tea for Louise taken up (passed through the barely opened door & disturbing her equilibrium a little as she thinks I’m someone smaller trying to gain access to the bathroom before she’s finished in there) bag packed up & back to being the audience.

When Louise comes down she asks that I close Jack’s window, which I do on my way to brushing my teeth before going. It doesn’t seem to smell in there much & the carpets are drying out – Louise thinks I must have done a good job scrubbing the floor last night, although I have to say it’s not something I would have preferred to be doing at midnight. Jack & his stomach: he’s the only one of them who pukes all over the place. He’d been fine all day & then when he gets to bed (only when he gets to bed) he says that he’s feeling unwell – his stomach hurts & to be quite frank we didn’t believe him because we get this so much from him of recent. & it’s proved to be nothing. Both Louise & I had told him to relax & just get some sleep, but he was fidgeting & carrying on. He’s think this unfair, but we just hear “Wolf! Wolf!” so often. So I came to bed at 11:00 – not bad for me, but Jack is still making a meal of things. He goes to the bathroom as I’m making sure Esme does her nightly wee duties & rather than disturb him & listen to repeated woes I place the potty in a safe spot & just go up to bed. I chunter a little to Louise & this wakes her & she’s not happy to hear Jack knocking about in his room (she has better hearing for the quite noises than I). She goes off to see what he’s up to & try to get him to settle in I soon hear her berating him. I think it’s best to check what’s going on & add moral backup & I’m shocked to find that Louise is telling him off for opening his window. What’s he doing with his window open? – it’s a very cold night (quite frosty this morning) & as Louise berates him & I’ve my back to him he pukes at a spot just behind me on the floor (ugh). I probably thought, “Well that’s going to be keeping me busy for a while”. Jack apologises, Louise is frustrated (I imagine it’s a combination of things including feeling guilty as he now plainly is ill) & Jack vomits again. Jack’s room is small – there’s not a lot of room, but Louise is unscathed & I’ve only got some splash on the back of my legs. The furniture’s OK, but the carpet’s doing badly. Jack’s told to go to the bathroom, I hand him the small bowl in his room & he’s apologising & crying, as he’s sick for a third time & goes off to the bathroom. I don’t think he’s sick again…

Louise is cross with him, the situation & probably herself & I go start getting things together for clearing up. It takes a while… I find it’s best to start with a dustpan & brush because you can get quite a bit of liquid & the chunks that way. Then I set to with a scrubbing brush because his carpet is textured. After I’m satisfied I’ve got any gunk off the carpet I move to soapy water & a bleach clean cleaner for any splashings & then we’re done. A good spray with a fabric deodoriser & leave the window open & close the door. Clean my hands thoroughly & take Esme upstairs so that Jack can use the futon Esme sleeps on before coming upstairs to us. Jack has apologised many times & I don’t want him to feel bad about it – these things happen. I’m sort if sorry that it was so hard to take him seriously; that’s the real problem. I tell him he needs to tell us his problems, & remember we love him & leave him to settle to sleep. I remember thinking that 12:30 wasn’t so bad, all things considered.